Sask., Alberta to collaborate on nuclear power generation

Alberta and Saskatchewan will collaborate on nuclear power generation as part of memorandum of understanding unveiled Thursday morning.

Dustin Duncan, Saskatchewan's minister responsible for SaskPower, was joined by Nathan Neudorf, Alberta's minister for affordability and utilities, at a news conference in Regina.

The agreement between the two prairie provinces will see the them share information around workforce development, nuclear supply chain, the security of supply of nuclear fuels, and the development and regulation of nuclear reactor technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs).

"Saskatchewan has a long-standing cooperative relationship with Alberta on energy development, and we share similar challenges and opportunities related to decarbonization," said Duncan in a news release.

Neudorf agreed, saying he's looking forward to the partnership.

"Our provinces are leading the world in responsible energy development, and we look forward to learning from Saskatchewan's experience with nuclear generation," he said.

What is an SMR?

Like their name implies, SMRs are much smaller than traditional nuclear reactors.

While a conventional nuclear reactor generates about 1,000 megawatts of energy, SMRs generate between 200 and 300 megawatts — enough to power about 300,000 homes.

The idea is to help fuel a transition to net-zero emissions.

LISTEN| What role should small nuclear reactors play in meeting Saskatchewan's net-zero goals?

In 2019, Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick agreed to co-operate in developing plans for small modular reactors (SMRs), which generate less power than a conventional plant and can be manufactured elsewhere and assembled on site.

Alberta would join the agreement in 2020.

Ongoing development

Saskatchewan has entrusted Crown corporation SaskEnergy with its exploration of the technology.

So far, SaskPower has identified Estevan, located in the province's southeast, and Elbow, located midway between Saskatoon and Regina, as two sites that could potentially host SMRs.

A final decision on the location to build a reactor is not expected until late 2024, and final decision on whether to build a SMR in Saskatchewan is not expected until 2029.

If approved, construction could begin as early as 2030, with the first SMR in Saskatchewan coming on line sometime in 2034.

In Alberta, the push for SMRs has only recently moved to the stage of feasibility study. An agreement between Capital Power and Ontario Power Generation to study feasibility of building SMRs to generate power was announced in January 2024.

In March, Neudorf mused about the province of Alberta adopting conventional nuclear power plants, such as the ones already in use in New Brunswick and Ontario.

Ontario is currently building the first of four SMRs at its nuclear facility in Darlington.